Car-axle box.



H. H. HEWITT.

GAR AXLE BOX.

APPLIGATIQE HLED 11x21. 1911.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 Sunnis-SHEET 1,

E. E. HEWITT.

GAB LXLE BOX. Prummel HLBD 311.21. 1911.

Patented Sept. 9,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT H. Hnwrrn or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CAIR-AXLE BOX.

To all fwwm t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT H. Hnwrrr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Axle Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to car axle boxes and seeks to provide` improved means which (when the invention is employed in its entirety and in its preferred form) serve to effectively hold the bearing or brass within the journal box, shall serve to check the escape of lubricant therefrom, shall act as a guard to exclude dust and other foreign matter, shall act to cushion the lateral thrust upon the truck and shall serve as a gage or indicator to show the extent to which the bearing or brass is worn.

The invention consists in the features of improvement hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the preferred form inthe accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure l is a central, vertical section through a car wheel and journal box embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in side elevation of the improved guard for the journal box. Fig. 3

f is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modified form of the invention. Fig. l is an enlarged detail view in side elevation of the' guard shown in Fig. 3.

The car axle A is provided with a wheel B fixed thereto in the usual manner and w1th a projecting journal a. The journal a fitsv metal and is provided with. one or more' lateral projections e punched outwardly therefrom. The resiliency of the metalcap E will allow the lateral projections or tongues e to be forced past the edge of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 21, 1911.

ratented sept. 9,' 1913. Serial No. 693,789.

hole in the chamber D as the cap is inserted into position, but, when the cap is once in position, the lateral projections or tongues e will engage the inner face of the wall of the chamber D and will prevent the removal of the cap. A coiled spring F extends between the end of the cap and a transverse web (Z2 formed integral with the chamber D and normally holds the cap in closed position. The cap may, of course, be forced inwardly to admit the lubricant into the chamber D. As shown, the spherical vjournal box D isheld within an opening in the side frame G of the car truck by means of annular keepers H and H that are exteriorly threaded to engage the interior threaded walls of the openings in the side frames. The interior surfaces of the keepers conform to the outlines of the spherical journal box D, so that the latter is free to shift universally with the axle A relatively to the side frame G or other like support for the journal box.

The cylindrical bore of the journal box D is provided at its outer end with an internal shoulder l against Awhich the outer end of the bearing sleeve or cylindrical brass C abuts. The reduced end d3 of the journal box projects considerably beyond the face of the inner keeper H and terminates in a plane, annular surface. The inner end of the bearing sleeve or brass C also terminates in a plane, annular surface which, when the sleeve is in position with its' outer end abutting against ythe shoulder d, coincides with or lies in the same plane with the surface at the inner end of the journal box. An annular, axially yielding guard K is mounted upon the axle between the wheel and the journal box, is frictionally held in position upon the car axle to rotate .therewith and is provided at its outer end with a plane, annular surface that bears upon the coincident, annular, plane surfaces at the inner ends of the journal box and bearing sleeve, to thereby hold the bearing sleeve against lateral movement and in position in the xjournal box and to prevent t-he escape of lubricant from the journal box and bearing sleeve, and the entrance of dust and dirt thereto. The car axle is longitudinally movable to a limited extent through the bearing sleeve and journal box and the axially yielding guard further serves as a buffer to absorb and cushion shocks due to the relative lateral motion of the car axle and the side frame or support for the journal box.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, thev guard comprises a spring formed of a comparatively broad, thin steel plate coiled edgewise, there being a suiiicient number of coils so that the spring shall fill the space between the hub of the car wheel and the coincident plane end surfaces of the bearing sleeve C and journal box D. For standard sizes of trucks, this space between the hub of the car wheel and the inner end of the journal box is about an inch and a half or two inches, but the guard K, which nor-` mally fills this space, will be compressible to a limited extent-preferably, about half an inch, before its coils abut. Thus, the

resiliency of the guard not only serves to" hold its outer portion tightly against the coincident ends of the bearing sleeve C and journal box hub d, but also holds its inner end firmly against the hub b of the car wheel B, and, when side strains are thrown upon the truck, the-guard K will take the A-initial thrust and thus in a great measure relieve the parts from severe shocks and strains. It will be understood, of course, that when the guard reaches its limit of compression-say half an kinch-the thrust will be transmitted through it to the hub of the car wheel.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the outer portion of the spring which comprises the guard K has its end 7c tapered to a considerable extent, so that this tapered or drawnout portion of the spring may be welded along the line la t0 'the outer coil of the spring and form therewith a ring of practically homogeneous character. The outer face of the ring or coil-thus formed will be machined to a true plane surface, so as to bear accurately upon the co-incident plane surfaces at the inner ends of the bearing sleeve C kand journal box D, which surfaces are also preferably vmachined. The guard K, by reason of its fsnug engagement with the journal a of the 'axle A and by reason of its bearing against the hub b of the car wheel and the shoulder a2 of the axle will be so frictio'nally held that it will revolve with the axle, while the engagement of the outer ring portionA of the guard K and the inner ends of the bearing sleeve C and journal boxD (because of their smooth and constantly lubricated engaging surfaces) will offer little resistance to the revolution of the guard with the axle or to the `easy slippingl of its outer end over the plane surfaces at the inner ends of the bearing sleeve and journal box.

As stated, the guard serves to hold the bearing sleeve C in position and against lateral movement, with the outer end of the sleeve abutting against the internal-shoulder d of the journal box and with the inner end of the sleeve coincident with the reduced portion d3 of the box. Since the guard ,spans the joint between the bearing sleeve and the journal box and also snugly encircles the journal d, it effectively serves to prevent the escape of lubricant from the `box or the entrance of dust and dirt thereto.

Moreover, the diameter ofthe guard K is, preferably, somewhat larger than the reduced inner end d3 ofthe journal box and is of sufficient size to properly maintain its engagement to close the inner end of the journal box and prevent the escape of lubricant or the entrance of dirt, even though the bearing sleeve is worn. It should be noted that the abutting parts which close the inner end of the journal box are free from projections and overlapping flanges, so that the guard is free to move laterally across the ends of the bearing sleeve and journal box, as the bearing wears. It should also be noted that the tight joint between the abutting metallic surfaces of the guard, journal box and bearing sleeve is obtained without the use of packing material, stuffing boxes or the like. Moreover, the wear from service upon these parts will not so alter the contacting metal faces thereof, as to render the device inefficient, but, on the contrary, any wear upon these surfaces will render the device more ellieient in the matter of keeping in the lubricant and in excluding the dust, since the coincident inner ends of the journal box and sleeve bearing will wear evenly and will more perfectly contact with the surface at the outer end of the guard. Moreover, the smooth, lubricated, metallic surfaces of these contacting parts, while maintaining a tight joint at the inner end of the journal box, will, nevertheless, permit the free movement of the guard so that the latter ma) be frictionally held in position t-o rotate with the car axle and wheel. The guard will not, therefore, cut or wear the car axle or its journal and the necessity of employing keys or other like devices to compel the movement of the guard with the axle is avoided.

As stated, the guard K is of somewhat greater diameter than the reduced portion (i3 of the journal box, and the guard is free. to move over the inner end face of the journalA box as the bearing sleeve C becomes worn. lVhen this occurs, the guard K will 'project to a greater distance above the reln the forni of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8 and et, the guard K comprises a similar spring to that forming the guard K hereinbefore described, but, vin this forni .of the invention, the outer portion of the spi-ing. .ln this form `of the invention also the ring K2 is of a diameter materially greater than the diameter of the hub or reduced portion'd3 of the journal box D, so that the ring` K2 serves as a gage or indicator to readily show to the inspector the extent to which the parts in the journal box have become worn. lt will be understood that the outer face of the ring K2 will be machined to accurately' bear upon the coincident ends of the bearing sleeve C and the reduced portion or hub (Z3 box, and in this form of the invention, as in that before described, the broad, flat spring will eifectually serve to resist the thrusts and shocks incident to the lateral movement of the trucks.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that vin each form of the invention the plane surfaces at the outer end of the dust guard and at the coincident inner ends of the bearing sleeve C and of the journal box D will be in snug and uniform engagement, so that not only will the escape of lubricant be prevented and the access of foreign matter to the journal box be guarded against, but also, since the guard has a radial free doin of movement with respect to the bearing sleeve and journal box, it will slip or shift in accordance with the Wear of the bearing, but will still serve to properly close the journal box. Moreover, inasmuch as tliepbox is free to shift universally with the car axle, any relative shift between the car axle and the side frame of the truck or other supportfor the journal box will not interfere with the proper engagement between the guard and the journal box. rThe shift of the guard over the end of the box as the bearing wears will, as stated, readily disclose to the inspector the condition of the bearings. By forming the guard of a broad,

flat spring plate coiled upon'itselftliere is no danger that, in taking the thrusts incident to the lateral movement of the truck, the coils of tliesprings will slip pasteach other or become distorted.

It is understood that the precise details above set forth may be varied without departure from the essentials of the invention as defined in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A guard of the character described com` of the journal l prising a short, cylindrical, thick spring formed of a broad, flat plate coiled upon itself and having its outer an integral ring provided with a plane bearing end surface at right angles to the axis of the spring. f

9,. A guard of the character described, comprising a short, cylindrical, thick 'spring formed of a broad, fiat plate coiled upon itself and having its outer end tapered and united to the outer coil of Jthe spring to form an integral closed ring having a plane bearing surface substantially at right angles to the axis of the spring.

3. The combination with a car axle having a wheel fixed thereto and a projecting j ournal, of a journal box having a cylindrical chamber, a. bearing sleeve for the axle ournal in said chamber, said sleeve and box having coincident, annular, plane surfaces at their inner ends, and a guard on Said axle between said wheel and journal box and comprising a spring formed of a broad fiat plate coiled upon itself and having a closed ring at its outer end bearing upon the coincident end faces of said box and said bearing sleeve.

4l. The combination with a. car axle having a wheel fixed thereto and a. projecting journal, of a chambered journal box provided with a bearing for the axle journal, and a combined guard and indicator located in an exposed position between the journal box and the car wheel and comprising an outer annular plate and a coiled spring encircling the axle, saidouter plate being free to move radially with respect to said journal box'to indicate the extent of wear of said bearing, j

5. The combination with a car axle having a Vwheel fixed thereto and a projecting journal, of a cliainbered journal box having an internal shoulder at its outer end, a journal bearing in said box abutting against said shoulder, said box and bearing having coincident. inner end faces, and an annular, axially resilient, combined guard and keeper between said wheel and journal "box and fitted on said journal to rotate therewith, said guard having a bearing face engaging the end faces of said box and bearing to hold the latter in position.

6. The combination with a car axle having a wheel fixed thereto and a projecting journal, of a journal box lhaving a cylindrical chamber with an internal shoulder at its outer end, a bearing sleeve for said journal in said box abutting against said shoulder, said box and bearing having annular, coincident plane faces at their inner ends, and a combined guard and keeper interposed between said wheel and box and comprising a coiled spring and an outer closed ring snugly engaging said journal and arranged to rotate therewith, said ring having a plane metallic face bearing upon the cocoil closed to forni and said journal being axially shiftable incident inner end faces of said box to hold through said box, of an annular, axially resaid bearing in place and close the inner end silient combined guard and buffer compris? of said box, said ring being free to shift ing a. flat plate coiled upon itself and enlaterally over the inner end faces of Said box circling said journal between said Wheel and 15 and bearing as the latter Wears.` y said box and having an integral, outer, closed 7 The combination with a car axle having ring bearing upon the inner end faces of said a Wheel fixed thereto and a projecting box and said bearing. l journal, of a chambered journal box, a HERBERT H. HEWIT'L journal bearing in said box, said box and Witnesses: bearing having coincident inner end faces WALTER C. MULLE'i'r, EUGENE J. COLEMAN.. 

